Help residents who are living in fuel poverty

Published:15:36Thursday 17 November 2016

A new campaign to tackle fuel poverty in the district has received backing from two major partner agencies.

Community Foundation Wakefield has launched its Surviving Winter – Fuel Poverty Fund to provide emergency fuel payments to locals in desperate need. The scheme is now being run in association with Wakefield Council and WDH.

Currently, everyone who receives a state pension automatically gets a winter fuel payment from the government regardless of whether they need it or not. The idea behind the new fund is to encourage people who are more well off to donate the money to help others less fortunate.

Administrator John Major said: “We’re asking people who receive a state pension, and therefore receive a winter fuel payment, to donate part, or all, of this to our fund. In addition, we’re opening the call for anyone in the district to contribute to helping the most vulnerable in our area this winter.

“Those at risk will receive a payment of at least £50 towards their energy costs. Your donations go direct into the fund and every penny goes towards helping those in fuel poverty.”

Fuel poverty contributes to around 200 excess deaths every winter in Wakefield.

The aim is to raise £5,000 before distributing the funds.

The money will be given out in the form of pre-payment meter cards or tokens to ensure it is only used on gas and electricity bills.